In general, the washing machine rotates a rotating tub, and a pulsator by a driving force of a motor, for conducting washing, rinsing, and spinning, wherein laundry is washed by using friction between the laundry, the washing water, and the rotating tub occurred as washing water and the laundry introduced in the rotating tub are pulsated. The related art washing machine conducts respective cycles automatically according to numbers of times, periods, and etc., of the washing, rinsing, and spinning, either selected, and set by a user directly, or preset by a manufacturer.
A related art washing machine will be explained, with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram showing a system of a related art washing machine schematically.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art washing machine is provided with a key application part 1 for selecting a user's desired function, a system microcomputer 2 for controlling cycles of the washing machine according to the functions selected through the key application part 1, a motor 3 for being driven under the control of the system microcomputer 2, miscellaneous load driving parts for driving miscellaneous loads, such as a water supply valve, a drain valve, and the like, in response to control signals from the system microcomputer 2, and a display part 5 for displaying operation states, or error occurrences of the functions selected through the key application part 1 in response to control signals from the system microcomputer 2. The display part 5 has 88 segments, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) for displaying a remained time period of washing.
When a user gives a washing command by pressing the key application part 1 on the foregoing related art washing machine, the microcomputer 2 progresses washing by applying control signals to the motor 3, and miscellaneous load driving parts 4 according to a preset sequence of washing cycles, for driving the motor 3, the water supply valve (not shown), the drain valve (not shown), and the like according to the sequence. Also, the microcomputer 2 provides a control signal for displaying set descriptions selected by the user, and displays operation time periods, and remained washing time periods for the washing, rinsing, and spinning cycles for respective washing courses.
However, the related art washing machine has the following problems.
First, the employment of 88 segments, and the LED in the display part is not adequate for displaying a variety of messages on the display part.
Second, the lack of guidance for setting washing conditions for each washing course is inconvenient, particularly, to beginners.